


For the Gold

by neopuff



Category: Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:27:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23491651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neopuff/pseuds/neopuff
Summary: A series of ficlets about Jacques and Josée and what they were doing during The Ridonculous Race. Lots of Jacsee!
Relationships: Jacques/Josee (Total Drama), MacArthur/Sanders (Total Drama), Sanders & Josee (Total Drama)
Kudos: 6





	1. chambertin grand cru

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting from ff.net.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacques and Josée celebrate their win from episode 4.

“We did it, Josée! We finally got first!”

He casually picked her up and carried her into the elevator, giggling the whole way. Josée squeezed her rabbit’s foot to her chest and leaned against him.

“It took long enough,” she mumbled, pressing the button for the 11th floor with her foot. “Losing to those…those _cadets_ last challenge was pathetic!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jacques said as the elevator started towards their floor. “The past doesn’t matter now, what matters is we won and we should celebrate!”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “And how do you plan on doing that? We don’t have a lot of time to waste, you know!”

“Well, this was supposed to be a surprise,” Jacques said, carrying her out of the elevator and heading to their room. “But I ordered something special to arrive in a couple of minutes!”

“Something special?” Josée asked. “Like what?”

“You’ll see!” Jacques opened their door and strolled inside, taking a look at the nice room they got for the night. It had two single beds, as per Josée’s request (not that he had any other plans), a small bathroom, television, and small closet. It was more than enough for the night.

Josée lowered herself out of his arms and stretched a bit. “Well, I’m going to take a shower, so I hope your surprise can wait!” She walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Jacques smiled and shrugged, he was pretty sure it’d be fine, and changed into the very basic pajamas he had with him.

x

After about ten minutes, there was a knock on the door, and Jacques turned off the TV and skipped over to open it up. The room service guy stood next to his cart, looking over an order sheet.

Jacques smiled. “Yes, thank you, those are for me!” He took the items and shut the door, ‘forgetting’ to leave a tip for the minimum wage employee. 

He quickly set up the surprise the way he wanted Josée to see it and made sure everything was clean and perfect for when she got out of the shower. Which was, conveniently, exactly when he finished setting up.

She’d already put on pajamas, steam coming out of the door behind her. She was tying up her hair as she walked towards the beds, but she stopped in her tracks once she opened her eyes. “Jacques…is that what I think it is?”

He smirked and looked at his fingernails as he said, “If you think it’s a bottle of Chambertin Grand Cru, then yes, you would be right.”

She jumped up happily and hopped over to his bed, sitting next to him. “Jacques, you have such _exquisite_ taste in wine. Give me some of that!”

Happily, Jacques poured her a glass, his heart swelling now that he knew he’d made the right decision. He poured himself a glass, too, and sipped it slowly.

“Mmm, this is delicious,” Josée said, practically downing it. “Mama always skimped out on the expensive stuff, but I think it’s worth the price.”

“I agree,” Jacques said, swirling his and pouring her another glass. “Just don’t overdo it, okay? We should be asleep by midnight, I think.”

“I know, I know,” she mumbled, taking another gulp and already feeling the effects of the alcohol on her small body. She didn’t drink often - too much training to do and lots of waking up early meant it wasn’t very fun, but she honestly enjoyed the taste and knew a good opportunity when she saw it.

Jacques also wasn’t a big drinker, since he was a big guy it took an…expensive amount of alcohol to actually get drunk. Which was nice when he wasn’t interested, but back in high school it was pretty annoying.

Either way - as they were, sitting together and sipping French wine as they thought about the many victories to follow, Jacques was very happy with how the day had turned out.

x

Jacques woke up - without an alarm, he noticed, 'cause he forgot to set one - and it was already 6 am, so they’d have to get up soon anyway. He closed his eyes again and considered going back to sleep for a half hour or so.

Though that was his first thought, it only took a few seconds for him to open his eyes and turn his head to look down at the sleeping figure cuddled up on his chest.

His heart started beating five times faster than normal as he considered the fact that he didn’t remember how they got into this position. On the up side, she looked adorable and he was happy she felt comfortable enough with him to snuggle like this. On the down side, that was probably because she was drunk and she’d be very angry when she woke up.

Her breathing was still even, so Jacques concluded she must still be sleeping deeply. Though he planned on getting out of bed before she woke up, he figured…no harm in waiting a few minutes. He wasn’t in any hurry.


	2. retour en noir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacques and Josée head back to their hotel after their almost elimination in Zimbabwe.

Jacques was tired.

It’d been a long day, obviously - having flown from Finland to Hawaii to Zimbabwe as fast as possible - but the day also reeked of failure. Even though it was a non-elimination round, he still felt awful.

And, well…it wasn’t even his fault, for once. Josée took that lava rock, not him. Josée placed a curse on them, not him. But there he was, still feeling guilty as if he’d been the cause of it all. She hadn’t even blamed him - and usually he was her scapegoat. She must’ve recognized her own fault in the situation. And _that_ was rare.

But it also just made him feel worse. Why did she have this effect on him all the time?

They’d gone separate ways after the challenge was over - Josée went straight back to the hotel, but Jacques wanted to actually sit and enjoy Zimbabwe for a bit. Having to go through the challenges at lightning speed meant he didn’t really get to take much of it in. And he still couldn’t believe how _close_ they were to not getting last despite so many extra hours added to their time. How was this father and son team still in the game if they went so impossibly slow?

On a positive note, Zimbabwe was very pretty. It wasn’t as pretty as the ice rinks in Quebec, or as pretty as he and Josée dancing together, but no need to put it up to impossible standards. After about a half-hour of wandering, Jacques decided he’d head back to the hotel as well.

When he stepped through the door to their room, the air conditioning stung the cuts on his face and he was suddenly reminded of how beat up he probably looked. That rhino was _ruthless!_ But with Josée’s help they were able to knock it out - his hero! Especially after _he_ was the reason the rhino kept attacking them. Sure, she delayed them to the challenge, but it wasn’t her fault they were so injured. More guilt, great.

“Josée?” he called into the room, noticing she wasn’t on either of the beds.

“Bathroom,” she responded, the door open just a crack and he could see her standing in front of the sink. “Did you have fun wasting time walking around?”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s not like we have anything else to do,” he said, opening the bathroom door fully. He wanted to take a look at his face to see what that rhino did, but he was stopped in his tracks as he looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Her eyes were puffy, a little red - her hair was still a mess, there was a bruise forming on her neck, and she was currently pressing iodine pads against the cuts on her face. She didn’t look over at him, but he couldn’t look away. She looked _terrible_.

Asking if she was okay was the first thought that came to mind, but it was stupid. Obviously she wasn’t okay. She’d _be_ okay - now that they were curseless, they’d get back on top - but for now she had to live with the fact that they’d placed _eleventh_. Last! They were ashamed of silver, bronze, and being out of the podium, but…but _last?!_ There was no redemption. They would have to live with that shame forever.

Jacques decided not to outwardly react to her condition and stepped behind her to look at himself in the mirror. He…looked about as bad as she did. Minus the red, puffy eyes. He absolutely hated when she cried. It was…not terribly often, but Josée became stressed very easily and it would often take a toll on her emotionally.

She would never admit to it if he wasn’t there to witness it. So this was one of those times he wouldn’t be allowed to bring it up. He wanted to - he wanted to take her in his arms and hug her so tight all her negative emotions would just squeeze out. But she wouldn’t approve, so he’d keep his distance for the time being.

Silently, Jacques stole some pads and wiped them against his cuts as well - fortunately he didn’t seem to have any bruises forming and a good shower was all he needed to fix his hair. She would probably shower first and while she did that he needed to think of a way to cheer her up without making it obvious that that was his intention.

He already had something in mind.

Josée dismissed him from the bathroom with barely a word and he tore off his uniform, taking a look at it and considering his options. He could get some dye very easily. Sure, he’d have to leave the hotel wearing…casual clothes, but then he could also get some matching sunglasses for them. Josée would adore it, he was sure.

Without second guessing himself, Jacques quickly dressed and flattened his hair (it looked terrible, but the cameras weren’t on him so he could stand to look bad just this once), and headed out to a nearby convenience store.

x

He’d already returned when Josée got out of the shower. She took a very, _very_ long shower, which was understandable, so he didn’t mind. It gave him more time to set things up. She walked out of the bathroom with a towel around her body and her hair still down and wet - Jacques didn’t really notice, he was used to that.

What he _did_ notice was the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at the newly colored uniforms drying on the balcony.

“Jacques…” she started to say.

“Oui, Josée?” He smiled, pretending not to know what she was looking at. “Is something wrong?”

Her face brightened and she walked around his bed to take a closer look. “Jacques, you absolute _genius_! The black will look fan _tastic_ on us!”

He smiled even wider. “The purple is a bit too…” He paused and scrunched his eyebrows, trying to think of the word he wanted, but only coming up with it in his native tongue. “Too _amical_ considering our new strategy.”

“The black is _much_ more menacing,” Josée said, turning to look back at him. She just smiled for a few seconds before combing her free hand through her wet hair. “Alright, go shower, you smell terrible and I want some privacy.”

“Okay, okay!” Jacques hopped off his bed and started tugging off his sweater on the way, tossing it to the floor next to him. Josée may still have some cuts and bruises, but he was sure she’d forgiven him and started to move on. After all, tomorrow would be a perfect day to crush their competition.


	3. merci beaucoup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacques and Josée are briefly trapped in an elevator (post episode 13).

Shameful and disgusting was one way to put it. Not only did they get 10th, but the Cadets were still there. So they accomplished nothing! Obviously they couldn’t have used the boomerang in another challenge so it didn’t matter…but _still_. Don adding those boomerangs was just a cheap shot at adding more drama to this leg of the race.

Jacques had to admit though, it was probably pretty damn exciting for the viewers at home. He was going to be excited watching even though he’ll know what happens. 

There was a small part of the day, though, where he wondered if they would air it. Obviously the camera crew was recording them, but…it seemed very uncomfortable. Maybe they’d consider it too personal and decide not to use the footage?

…probably not. Poor Josée. Jacques didn’t know why she was freaking out in the cell, but she was _losing_ it. Not enough air? Couldn’t breathe? It was the _bars_ causing it? Really Josée? He kept wanting to ask her about it as they were headed to their hotel for the night. Even though her freakout helped them escape early, it definitely didn’t help them win. He’d already considered the possibility that it might have been some sort of ruse - but she would’ve told him. She _always_ told him. They were partners, that’s how it worked.

So as they were walking back, Josée mumbling angrily to herself, Jacques using his brain considerably more than usual, he stared down at her posture. She was closed in on herself, hugging her arms and pulling herself into a box. It was not normal for Josée. He was getting worried - what if she was stuck like this? He couldn’t ice dance with a stiff box, beautiful as she was. He needed her to be flowing, arms wide and eyes facing forward.

In an act of idiocy, Jacques suddenly reached down and picked Josée up, carrying her bridal style in his arms. Her posture didn’t change at all, but her eyes widened in shock and she looked up at him. He just gave her a big smile back down.

“…can’t you just lift weights at the gym like a normal person?” she said, rolling her eyes.

Jacques laughed. “I could, but then you would not get to be a part of it!”

Josée pursed her lips and blew out some air, but chose to lean against his chest rather than complain. She always said he had a comfortable chest, so Jacques didn’t mind. He considered that rather than ask her about earlier - it could’ve just been a…random thing - he could just cheer her up, instead. That was much more his strong suit.

At least, that’s what he _thought_ he was going to do. It started to rain as they almost made it to the hotel, and Jacques ran inside to avoid getting their hair wet (not that they weren’t going to shower anyway, but still.) It was almost uncanny how quickly the rain started to fall, and even more quickly did it start thundering. Josée grumbled about how stupid Australia was that it couldn’t even have thunderstorms the right way, and Jacques just shrugged and started walking towards the elevator.

A few hotel employees and guests in the lobby stared at them. Could be for their amazing black outfits, could be because he was carrying her. Either way, they were jealous, and he loved it.

Inside the elevator, Josée, as she always did, pressed the button for their floor with her foot. They were all the way up on the 18th floor - normally they’d ask for the first floor, but most hotels didn’t have rooms on their first floor. Go figure.

It was when they were around floor 12 that the lights started flickering, and a few seconds later it went completely dark. Josée wrapped her arms around Jacques neck and he tightened his grip on her - but the sudden jolting stop of the elevator made him fall back on to his butt, Josée on his lap.

She started hyperventilating and Jacques moved his hand to her back, rubbing it very lightly. “J-Josée? Are you alright?”

Between breaths she managed to say, _“I’m fine!”_ But Jacques thought it was pretty obvious she wasn’t.

“Are you…afraid of the dark?” He asked aloud. Obviously they’d been in the dark together before, so he couldn’t imagine having just somehow missed this crippling fear of hers. Did it just suddenly happen?

“N-no! Of course not!” she breathed out, still squeezing him tightly. Her breathing kept sounding more and more jagged and Jacques moved his other hand around her back to hug her close to him.

“Then…what is wrong? You are shaking, mon petit chou,” he said, using his pet name for her in the hopes that it would calm her down.

Josée shoved her face into his neck and shook her head. “I-I don’t know,” she said. “I just…d-don’t do well in tight spaces.”

Jacques’ eyes widened. How had he never noticed this before? Of course, they rarely were in a tight space together - almost always spending their time in large, open skating rinks. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that she _did_ seem a bit off the few times they’d been somewhere small. Like if he locked the car doors and had the windows all the way up - even during the wintertime Josée would usually crack her window at least a bit.

It all made sense! He’d always just assumed it was just a Josée quirk, but… “You are…ah, claustrophobic?”

She stiffened in his arms and Jacques knew his guess was right. She shook her head. “I-…I guess!” She lifted up her head and attempted to look at him, knowing his eyes were locked with hers despite the darkness around them. “B-but I don’t like that stupid word!”

Jacques raised an eyebrow. “Claustrophobic? Why?” He didn’t like it either, but that was only because it was hard to pronounce.

“It makes me sound…” Josée stuffed his face in his shoulder, still shaking. “…weak,” she said quietly.

Jacques’ heart swelled. “Josée…you are not weak. Everyone has their fears and as perfect as you are, you are still human,” he said as he continued to rub her back. Josée didn’t respond, so he moved one hand back down to under her knees and adjusted how she was sitting on him. “Just use me to comfort yourself, mon chouchou. The elevator will be moving again soon, I am sure.”

Josée huffed at the pet name and found a comfortable way to lean against him, her breathing evening out just a tiny bit and Jacques feeling like a superhero. They stayed completely silent for a few minutes before the lights suddenly flickered back on.

The elevator still wasn’t moving, though, so Josée didn’t move from her spot. Jacques, however, wanted to stand up, and as he started moving he noticed the wet stains running down Josée’s cheeks. He moved one hand to wipe away her tears and just looked down at her with a compassionate expression that he hoped she could understand.

As soon as his thumb made contact with her cheek, Josée looked up at him, her eyes wide, and she blushed. She didn’t want him to see her in such an idiotic state of despair. She never liked it when he saw her like that. It was embarrassing! It was _weak!_ He could say what he wanted, but she still felt weak for it.

As they stared at each other for another twenty seconds or so, the elevator finally started to move, and the first thing it did before heading to their floor was stop on the 14th floor, which didn’t give Jacques and Josée any time to move from their spot.

Suddenly the elevator door opened and Sanders and MacArthur were standing in front of it, staring down at the Ice Dancers, who stared back at them. Josée opened her mouth, ready to yell at them for attempting to breathe the same air that she was, when MacArthur covered her eyes and groaned.

“UGH! I get enough of you too during the race, now you’re getting your germs all over the elevator?!?! Go make out in your _room_ for Christ’s sake!” she yelled, with Sanders chuckling behind her.

Josée stood up and angrily pressed the door close button over and over again while MacArthur continued to tease them from the hallway. Jacques stood up behind her and blew a raspberry at them as the doors finally closed.

He looked down at Josée, whose back was turned to him but he could still see her wiping at her eyes to make sure all evidence of crying was gone. He wanted to say something to reassure her, but the moment had been ruined. Those stupid Cadets managed to ruin _everything_ , apparently.

They stepped off the elevator and silently made their way to their room. Jacques felt a little uncomfortable - realistically, he should have known about her claustrophobia. They’d been together for _years._ He was kind of ashamed that he didn’t! Shouldn’t he know _everything_ about her? But it didn’t matter, ‘cause he didn’t before and now he did. And he’d make sure that she wouldn’t have to deal with not having any air to breathe _ever_ again.

Shutting the door to their room, Jacques considered just showering and going to sleep - it’d been a long, muddy day, after all - when suddenly Josée wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him. He was shocked for a moment, staring down at her head, but he returned the hug and knew his heart was beating _way_ too fast. She was just hugging him in the elevator! Technically. So it shouldn’t have been such a big deal. But…there was something different about her hugging him out of fear and her hugging him…for whatever reason she was hugging him for. He felt like he was flying.

“…thank you, Jacques,” Josée said quietly as she moved away from him and towards the bathroom. She shut the door and he just stared for about a minute before clutching his chest.

That _“thank you”_ was going to play in his head over and over for the rest of the night. It wasn’t like she never said please or thank you, but there was just something about this one that felt so completely sincere and genuine that he wanted to take the sound of it, bundle it up, and keep it under his pillow forever.


	4. Essayant De Respirer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacques and Josée have a little talk after what happened in the Bahamas.

They agreed that everything was fine between them. Jacques felt bad for stirring up bad blood, but he was trying to keep her motivated! Or at least distract her from her crippling fear of tight spaces.

…alright, and he was a little frustrated with her. The almost elimination in India scared him - they would _not_ be going home for something as stupid as sabotage! If they were going to go home it would be because…well. They just wouldn’t go home. They would win the million, the end.

But even after saying they were good, Jacques couldn’t help but feel like things weren’t completely settled between them. Josée had not just been angry, and definitely exhausted after hyperventilating for so long, but then she moved on to being totally silent. It wasn’t often that Josée wandered off into silence, and it scared him. Sure, she should be mad at him. But not _that_ mad…right? She’d not just threatened to, but _had_ replaced him in the past, so why was it such a big deal for him to suggest moving on?

He sighed. He knew why it was a big deal. Without her, he was miserable, but Jacques had a big family and lots of friends and people to support him. Without him…Josée had no one except her mother, who treated her absolutely terribly. Though despite evidence to the contrary, Josée still believed her relationship with her mother was completely normal. Which just scared him more.

Jacques looked over to where Josée was sitting in the water taxi - she’d taken the complete opposite side of their bench and was staring out onto the water, hands in her lap. Her pose seemed unlike her - very closed off, untouchable, antisocial.

She was upset. She _had_ to be upset. There was no other explanation for why she hadn’t said a word to him since they got on the boat.

Biting his lip, Jacques considered his options. If he said something to her, it was likely they’d get into a fight. Maybe that would help them solve whatever tension they had, but…if it didn’t, they were in trouble for the remainder of the race. But if he didn’t say anything, they were undoubtedly in trouble anyway. If she didn’t talk to him, how was he supposed to race with her?! She’d keep playing the game, but he wouldn’t be able to take it. Josée yelling at him, even when it made him angry, was a constant motivation to keep him going.

“…Josée?”

All he got in response was a low hum with a question mark at the end - she didn’t even turn around to look at him. Jacques bit the inside of his cheek.

“…are you alright?”

Her shoulders stiffened and Jacques knew he’d started a chain. Hopefully it would end up positive, but until then…

“I’m sure this comes as a surprise, but almost _drowning_ less than fifteen minutes ago is still _weighing_ on me,” she growled, still not looking at him.

Jacques flinched. “R-right. Stupid question,” he said, feeling guilty.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence and he considered whether or not to say something again. Maybe at least _attempt_ to comfort her. Despite his earlier words, he wasn’t mad at her. A little frustrated, definitely, but he didn’t want her to get _hurt._

“…so what else do you want to do?”

Jacques’ eyes widened and he stared over at her - she was still facing the water. “Pardon?”

Finally, Josée turned and looked at him, a frown on her face and the bags under her eyes looking heavier than usual. “That doesn’t involve sequins and blade sharpeners, Jacques! I’m just…curious.”

“Oh, um…” Jacques was a bit taken aback. He’d been mostly bluffing when he said that, trying to distract her with her own anger. Sure, he had other things in life he wanted to try, but most of them also involved sequins. Not so much on the blade sharpeners, though.

He considered the possibility that she knew he didn’t really have an answer, but her face showed genuine curiosity. And Josée could lie, but not to him. He knew her expressions. It was no wonder she’d been so upset if she thought he would _actually_ just drop her like that.

“Well?”

Jacques pouted a bit. “I…I don’t know, Josée! I was just…musing! I just don’t want to be known for doing one thing for my entire life…”

She glared. “You sounded so confident earlier, but you really don’t have any ideas? And here I thought you’d have a _list._ ”

He scratched at his neck - something he was aware he did when nervous, but couldn’t help anyway. Josée probably recognized it, too. “I…I know. I was…just trying to distract you.”

Her expression turned confused. “Distract me? So you just said that to _upset_ me?”

Jacques gulped. “Ah, I…I thought your anger would help you! Since channeling it into sabotage might’ve gotten us eliminated, I just-”

He was cut off by a small fist leaving a bruise in his arm. “You-!! You _ass!_ I thought you were going to leave me!”

He rubbed his arm and groaned. “Ow! You-! You always get so determined when you’re mad! It’s worked before!”

Josée’s bottom lip quivered for just a second, but she bit it before Jacques could really take notice. “I-I thought you were _leaving!_ You don’t think I was a little more than just _mad?!_ ”

Though he didn’t notice her lip, Jacques _did_ notice her eyes watering up just the slightest bit. He felt so totally and utterly guilty. “I…I’m sorry, Josée. I didn’t…I didn’t think it through. You know I’m not the smart one between the two of us.”

“Obviously! That was so-! So _stupid!”_ she yelled, making their taxi driver roll up the window between him and them.

Jacques didn’t blame him. “ _Yes,_ I know that now! I said I was _sorry!_ Maybe if I had talked you through it like I did in Russia then you wouldn’t have run out of air and almost-!”

This time he cut himself off, looking away from her. Thinking about the fact that she could’ve died was…it made his chest feel heavy. She was saved by _MacArthur_ , of all people, and he felt like an idiot because of it. If she’d had her way, Jacques never would’ve been able to send divers in to save her - anything for the gold, like Mama always says! - and who knows what could’ve happened then.

Josée stared at him. She could tell he was sorry. She could tell he felt guilty and terrible. But it didn’t make her feel automatically better. She was still-…she was _still_ breathing heavier than normal. The walls of that cave squeezing her until she couldn’t breathe was going to haunt her for a _long_ time. Even the jagged edges of the hole in Russia was still fresh in her mind. She should’ve expected that her claustrophobia would be so frequently triggered in a competition like this, but she _didn’t_ and it was painful.

Jacques was playing with his hands. He didn’t know how to get back to talking after cutting himself off right when his thoughts trailed back to her possible death. Obviously he never would have let her die, _never_. But he really didn’t understand how to help her with her phobia when she didn’t even know how to help herself. In Russia, his words may have calmed her down, but she wasn’t back to normal until sabotaging another team. In the cave…she _couldn’t_ sabotage another team. They would’ve _lost_ if she had, he just knew it. So what could calm her down? Anger was the only solution he could think of. He honestly thought it was reasonable. Jacques considered that he should do some research on how to calm her down from these episodes of hers…maybe then, if they ever did this again, he would be more helpful.

His thoughts were cut off by Josée’s slim frame leaning up against him, her fingers brushing over one of his hands. Jacques’ eyes widened and he stared down at her - she was looking back to the water on the other side of the boat and blushing just a bit.

“You said we were good, and…” She bit her bottom lip again. “…and I hope we still are. I…I’m not going to pretend I’m not mad, but…since it was for the gold…”

Jacques moved his hand to rest on her waist and leaned back against her. “If you’re good, I’m good. I’m…I’m so sorry, Josée.”

She shook her head. “…this ride is going to be another hour at least. Might as well…enjoy each other’s company while we’re here.”

He felt his heart beat faster at her words - whenever she said something that sounded romantic he got like that - and made a subtle attempt to snuggle with her in their seats. Maybe they weren’t at their best teamwork-wise, but so long as they won the million dollars, Jacques knew they wouldn’t have to worry about it.


	5. The Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josée is very, very happy with him. Post episode 24.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: porn!

They hadn’t had a day _that_ good in a long time.

It was like all the good luck they’d lost during the lava rock legs suddenly came back to them specifically for their trip to Buenos Aires. The plane trip was awful, sure, and Jacques had some trouble with that stupid emu, but a _dancing_ _challenge_ followed by an easy win? This was one of their best days yet.

Especially for Jacques, if he wanted to be honest with himself - Josée had been _very_ affectionate all day. He was used to a very occasional hug, no more than once a week, but…two in one day? She called him her _hero?!?!_ His heart was practically pounding! He kept a straight face for her, but _God_ she did not know the effect her compliments had on him.

And Josée continued to be affectionate as they made their way to the hotel for the night. It was going to be a short night - they had to be up and ready to start the next challenge at seven in the morning. An earlier time than usual, but Don said it was necessary.

They entered the hotel with her clinging to his arm and telling him how good of a job he did today - Jacques smiled down at her and accepted her praises with his head held high. The vegetable oil plan was all his, and Josée let him do it all on his own, so he was really happy it worked out. She was clearly very proud of him - it’d been almost an hour and she was still gushing about how well he’d done.

In the elevator, Jacques made sure the door closed before any other guests entered and they’d travel straight up to the eighth floor without any problems. The ugly person who asked him to hold the door could wait until the next one.

As the elevator started going up, he turned to say something to his partner when her arms were suddenly around his neck and her lips were suddenly connected to his. Jacques was caught off guard, but still reacted in time to wrap his fingers around her waist and kiss back before she pulled away.

“Ah…” he started. “I’m glad you’re so happy, mon chouchou.”

Josée kept her arms around his neck and beamed up at him. “I’m just _so_ proud of my hero, is all,” she said, pecking his lips again before moving her head down a bit.

In that moment, Jacques could’ve sworn her expression changed from happy to sultry, and he felt his heart racing again. This night _might_ get even better than it already was. But just in case, he wouldn’t test those waters just yet.

Besides, he _really_ needed to clean himself up. His hair was… _disgusting,_ and he had oil all over himself.

She intertwined her fingers with his as they got to their floor and started walking to their room. It was…nice. It was always nice when Josée was touchy-feely, but this felt especially nice after how up and down their relationship had been lately. Er…their _partnership._ Thanks to this stupid race, they’d been getting angry with each other every other day and it was stressing him out. He just wanted them to twirl and dance and spin and enjoy one another’s company again.

As soon as they got in their room, Josée let go of his hand and tore off her vest, tossing it to the bed. Jacques squeezed his hand that she’d been holding and made a face at the gross stickiness he still felt ‘cause of the oil. How did Josée hold his hand without complaining about that?

She spun around, saying, _“Gold!”_ over and over, and Jacques just smiled before heading to the bathroom. He _really_ needed a shower. Maybe he’d rinse off and then soak in the tub for a bit - sliding off that horse a couple times made his butt sore. He could use a nice warm soak.

The shower was hot - just what he needed after a long day of hard work. Well, not all of the work was hard, but the day was still long as hell. That twenty-four hour flight made his back ache just _thinking_ about it. And tomorrow they’d probably have another one just as long. He combed through his hair and sighed. Long flights weren’t the worst thing in the world, but they were _painful._

He shampooed his hair and took his time rinsing it out, thinking about how much oil was in his hair. It’d wash out easily, of course, and he packed so many hair products that by tomorrow his beautiful locks would be back to normal, but _still._ He hated that he’d have to see his hair looking so disgusting when the episode aired on television.

Checking to make sure he couldn’t feel anymore oil in his hair or on his body, Jacques decided to stop the drain, add some soap, lay back, and enjoy a nice bubble bath before conditioning. He felt like today was a day that deserved a relaxing end to it. _He_ deserved to relax for a bit.

With his eyes closed and being distracted by the sound of water streaming out of the faucet, Jacques didn’t notice the bathroom door opening and a quiet giggle coming from his partner. He didn’t even notice she was in the room until she closed the door, the tiny clicking of the lock making him open his eyes.

Jacques look over in surprise to see Josée standing by the door, looking back at him, and _completely naked._ Not a view he was unaccustomed to, but he wasn’t exactly used to it either. He blushed - eyes starting at her thighs and traveling up to see the sensual look in her eyes.

“Uh-um…” he stuttered as she started walking towards the tub.

“Oui?” she said, leaning forward and putting her hand on the edge of the tub. She reached up and pulled her hair out of its usual ponytail, letting it flow behind her back as she tossed the hairtie to the side.

“J-Josée…” Jacques had the sudden urge to beg for her. He always thought she was beautiful, but something about Josée with her hair down was one of his favorite images in the entire world.

She smirked and stuck one foot into the tub. “Move over, gaucho,” she said as she stepped over the side entirely and stood in front of him.

Jacques moved his hands up her legs out of habit, stopping mid-thigh and looking up at her face. Josée bent down to her knees, kissing him passionately and pressing herself against his chest. He hoped she couldn’t feel how fast his heart was beating thanks to her.

It wasn’t like they’d never had sex before - oh, they had, plenty of times - but…they’d never done something so romantically intimate as taking a _bath_ together. Josée despised things like this, at least he _thought_ she did, so he’d never even suggested it for fear of angering her.

But _apparently_ he didn’t need to, considering how her fingers were scratching against his shoulders and her mouth moved against his own. Jacques kept one of his hands on her thigh while the other moved to her back, pulling her even closer to him than before.

Her tongue brushed against his and Jacques felt his mind melting away at the sensation of her body touching his all over. She made him feel like his fifteen year old self going at it for the first time again, and he _loved_ it. He wanted to feel her _everywhere_.

Unfortunately, Josée had other plans, and she suddenly separated their lips and smiled at him. They were looking directly at each other, but Jacques felt like she was towering above him. She had so much control over him in these situations and he never knew what to do or say - but he _wanted_ her to have that control. He _wanted_ her to make him feel so dizzy and confused and embarrassed and he _wanted_ her to be pleasured and loved and he always made sure she came first.

Josée stood up and moved behind Jacques - wrapping her legs around either side of him and pressing her chest against his back. Jacques could feel her nipples against his skin and really wished she would come back to his front where he could see her.

“Mmm…my _hero_ ,” Josée mumbled into his back, kissing his spine up to his neck.

Jacques giggled and rubbed his hands over her calves, letting his middle and pointer fingers rest on her Achilles Heels. Josée made a small rumbly noise in response and moved her hands around his waist, hugging him tightly.

He was about to say something witty when his thoughts were completely cut off by Josée’s wandering hand finding his hard cock and rubbing circles around the head. He squeaked and groaned as she lightly squeezed her way down to the hilt and moved her hand up and down over and over again.

 _Heaven!_ He was in heaven. There was no other explanation for how something so amazing could be happening to him at that moment. She was just humming against his back while stroking him and Jacques felt butterflies flying around his stomach. Only Josée could make him feel like an inexperienced teenager. _Only_ her.

As she continued to stroke him, Jacques squeezed her ankles and moaned out her name, just encouraging Josée to move faster. He wanted to flip them around and take her right there, but Josée had this way with her hands that made him go completely still. And he didn’t want the bath water to splash all over the floor - he might not have been the nicest person, but he was _not_ messy _._

But with that in mind, he finally managed to grab her wrist with one of his hands, stopping her mid-motion.

Josée pouted. “Hmm?” she asked.

“Come…around front,” he said almost breathlessly, pulling her hand off of him.

She smirked and kissed his shoulder blade before doing what he said - returning to the position she was in before. She put her knees on either side of him and then leaned forward with one hand in the middle of his chest and the other stroking his dick again.

He moaned and cupped a hand around the back of her neck - pulling her into him for another passionate kiss. Josée complied with a quiet hum and continued stroking him as his tongue entered her mouth.

Jacques took his other hand and grabbed her wrist again, this time pulling her hand up to his shoulder. He didn’t separate their lips as he moved his hands to her hips and pulled her towards him so that her entrance was just above his cock. He wanted to push inside her and let himself go completely, but he wanted Josée to initiate. It was just…how he liked it.

She smiled against his mouth and slowly moved herself down just an inch - she started rubbing herself against the head and stroked down just like she did with her hand.

Jacques choked and squeezed her hips tighter, finally separating their lips by just a few centimeters. “J-Josée…”

She continued with the rubbing motion she’d started. “Oui, Jacques?”

He groaned and clenched his teeth, not knowing how much more of this he could take. “P-please…”

“Hmmm…” she hummed, going a little slower. “…please _what?_ ”

Jacques rubbed circles into her skin with his thumbs. “… _please._ ”

Josée kissed him again and moved herself down, taking him inside her slowly and enjoying every second of it. She breathed out of her nose and made a satisfied sound while Jacques let out a gutteral groan.

He started grinding into her slowly and quickly picked up the pace - Josée immediately falling into sync with his rhythm. She squeezed his shoulders and moaned, making Jacques move even faster.

The water around them started to splash on to the bathroom floor and Jacques couldn’t remember why he cared previously - all he could think about was Josée and her skin and her hair and how she _felt_ and how she sounded and how he never wanted to be with anyone except for her.

As usual, Jacques wouldn’t let himself come first. It was a _rule_ of his, no matter what she did to him, her needs always came before his own. But considering how much she did to him, Jacques was getting close.

She seemed to just be casually enjoying riding him and splashing water everywhere, so Jacques wasn’t sure how much longer she needed. He kissed her neck and nibbled on her skin, happy to hear her moan in response.

“J-Josée…are you-” he started, pausing as her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled her closer to her. “…close?”

She exhaled loudly and bit her bottom lip, trying to focus on his lips and hands and all of his skin making _so_ much contact with hers and it felt _amazing_ and she loved him so _much._ “Mmm,” she hummed before putting her lips next to his ear. “…maybe if you fuck me _harder._ ”

Jacques scrunched his eyebrows and quickly nodded before suddenly turning them both around - Josée laying in the water with him on top of her. He stayed inside and thrusted harder and faster as Josée tightened the grip her legs had on his waist and moaned even louder than before.

He leaned down to kiss and nibble at her neck and shoulders again while she groaned out his name and squeezed him with her thighs. Jacques smiled and kissed her neck, jaw, cheeks, and then back to her lips - covering up the sounds of her moans. He would’ve regretted that if not for the way her mouth moved against his and he knew he was only going to last a few more seconds.

In those seconds, Josée started breathing faster and faster, her nails digging into the skin on his back while he stood up straighter to get a proper grip on her hips. Jacques slowly started to pull out of her, making her whine his name, before thrusting back in so quickly that Josée’s eyes widened and she screamed out his name as she came.

She continued moving with him for a bit more as Jacques very suddenly remembered he was totally raw and just before he was finished he pulled out and came on her thighs and stomach instead. He breathed a sigh of relief - thank _God_ he was paying attention. Josée surprising him with this could’ve led to…a problem.

With her laying on the floor of the tub, her legs spread out around him, and Jacques leaning against the wall with his hands rubbing her thighs again, he considered that this might be the best day of this stupid race so far. It won’t beat what they’d do after winning the million dollars, he was of that, but maybe Josée would be interested in continuing this into the bedroom.

Especially since today was one of those days where he _really_ wanted to eat her out. He kind of always wanted to, considering how good he was at it and how much he loved hearing Josée scream his name, but after everything she just did he _needed_ to.

Slowly, Jacques leaned down and cupped her face, kissing her again. “Josée…” he mumbled. “…let’s finish cleaning up and…continue this.”

She smiled against his lips and moved her arms back around his neck, pulling him closer to him. She just responded with a very satisfied-sounding hum, and Jacques knew he was in for a very fun rest of his night.


	6. Vegas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josée wants to relax a bit. Post-19.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: some nsfw references, technically underage drinking.

Vegas was weird.

Not only did they go through another _almost_ loss – which was terrible and shameful – but in general they had been in bad spirits during the past few challenges. Josée was feeling increasing annoyed with Jacques and she could tell he was feeling it, too.

They’d been together for fourteen years, but that wasn’t like this. This was nonstop being around each other for almost _two months_ now. They lived together at home, but they had separate bedrooms. Separate schedules. On this show they literally could barely ever be apart.

Normally Josée had no issues with Jacques. He was her best friend, partner, and confidante. She liked to think he felt the same way about her, though she’d never ask. Asking would seem too weak. She knew where she stood with him and that’s what mattered.

But, that being said, she still felt like she needed to relax. Josée knew she had a habit of getting… _tense_ when things weren’t going her way. Jacques had told her many times with plenty of unkind words how her attitude tended to affect him. But he also knew that it was just how she was.

But they were in the United States! Not just America, but _Vegas!_ This place, Josée was pretty sure, was famous for the alcohol. And she was really in the mood. A little something to relax her would be nice. Just for the night. Maybe she’d get a little tipsy and… _apologize_ to Jacques, or something.

Not that he deserved it or anything. But it might slip out, anyway.

With Jacques in the shower, Josée donned some casual clothes and made her way to their hotel’s first floor bar, skipping into the smoky room and ignoring the looks she immediately received from ugly looking men sitting near the TV. Chances are they didn’t know a _thing_ about ice dancing, so what exactly would they have to offer her?

She leaned up against the counter, getting the bartender’s attention immediately. He smiled down at her and stuck out his hand. “Gonna need some ID before I getcha anything.”

Rolling her eyes, Josée shoved her hands into one pocket and quickly handed the license to him. She waited impatiently as he looked at the picture, then up at her, then back down at the ID.

“Uh, Miss, this ID says you’re 20.”

“… _yes_ ,” Josée responded, sounding annoyed.

“I’m guessin’ you’re not from around here, then. Drinking age is 21, can’t serve ya,” he said, handing the ID back to her.

“ _What?!_ ” Josée screeched. “21?! That’s…that’s idiotic!” Her face was a little red as she realized she _did_ know that, but it just slipped her mind. “I…”

He shrugged. “Sorry, Kid.”

She felt her mind boil. _Kid?!_ Did he just call her _Kid??!_ How…how _dare_ this-…this…this UGLY MAN! She huffed and walked out of the bar, heading back to her and Jacques’ room. Well, there went her chance to relax. Now she was even angrier than before.

Jacques was already out of the shower when she burst into their room, pouting and grumbling and looking all around pissed off. He stared at her with an eyebrow raised and almost stopped himself from going: “What’s wrong with _you?_ ”

Josée growled. “The. Drinking age. In this stupid country. Is _21._ ”

He shrugged. “So?”

“ _So!!!_ ” she screeched. “I don’t like being denied alcohol when I want it!”

Jacques stared at her for a second before snickering and covering his mouth with one hand. “I…didn’t even think about that, Josée. Were you kicked out of the bar downstairs?”

She blushed. “Shut up!”

He gave her a wide smile. “So I guess if you _really_ want some booze tonight, you’ll have to beg me, eh?”

“I-!” Josée clamped her mouth shut angrily and glared at him. He wanted her to _beg_? As much as she wanted a drink, there was no chance in hell she’d ever get on her knees and beg for him to buy her any.

Well, the begging part was out of the question…the on her knees part, though?

Jacques was still smirking and chuckling a bit, happy to be in a position of power for once. Josée let out a huff and turned to glare at the wall. After a few seconds, she stared up at him.

“You’ll get me anything I want?”

Jacques raised an eyebrow. He didn’t expect her to consider it…but her begging would definitely improve his mood. “…oui.”

She looked down at his crotch – still covered by the towel from his shower – and sneered. “Fine. Just…move your towel and I’ll do it.”

Jacques blinked. He gave her a confused expression and repeated what she said a couple times in his head. Then he turned completely red and grabbed his towel tighter. “N-NO JOSEE!! THAT’S…THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!!”

She squinted at him. “…then what _did_ you mean?”

He was covering his red face with his hands and trying not to think about what she’d just implied. Not that she’d never done it before, but he wasn’t so much of a sleaze that he’d _make_ her do it for compensation! That would be shameful and disgusting. “I-I was just making a joke, Josée! Honestly!”

“Oh,” she said, hugging herself. “…w-well, I couldn’t tell!”

Jacques covered his blush with one hand and slowly slid it down his face. “…no, Josée, I’m not getting you a drink. I can’t take drinks out of a bar to give to a minor-”

She growled.

“- _and_ I didn’t see any liquor stores on the way here. So-“

Josée crossed her arms angrily. “You could order room service!”

Jacques paused. “…ah. You’re right, I could do that.” He put a finger to his chin in thought.

She just stared up at him, knowing she was not in control of the situation for once. She hated it.

“…hmmm,” Jacques mumbled. Josée might’ve been on to something. He wasn’t unaware of the animosity that’d grown between them the past few days. Especially after this last challenge, they’d just been bickering with one another the entire time. When the episode came out, he’d probably get annoyed just watching them.

“… _well?_ ” she said impatiently.

He rolled his eyes and shrugged. “Alright, fine.”

Josée’s hands clapped together as she watched him reach for the phone. She hadn’t been this happy with him in _days._ Maybe she’d do something nice for him after all. She was feeling generous even without the alcohol in her system.

Jacques finished up on the phone and turned towards him, a little shocked to see her smiling brightly at him. He blushed a tiny bit and looked back down at the phone, hanging it up properly. “Um, so…” He turned back to her. “They’ll bring some chardonnay for us in about fifteen minutes. So-“

He was cut off by Josée’s finger under his chin and her lips pecking his forehead briefly. “Merci, Jacques. That’s just enough time for me to shower!” She skipped off to the bathroom.

Blushing, _again_ , Jacques pressed a hand to his forehead. Even annoyed with her, she still had this amazing ability to make him want to do everything for her. How could she possibly have him so wrapped around her finger? She wasn’t even _trying._

Jacques got dressed and fifteen minutes passed – ten minutes of him agonizingly trying to understand how she managed to have such a strong hold on his heart and five minutes of him trying to figure out whether or not she knew how strong it was – and the knock on the door got him out of his stupor.

Josée stuck her head out of the bathroom door just as Jacques opened it, giving the busboy an embarrassing view of her with only a towel on and her hair down and wet. Jacques quickly grabbed the bottle and shut the door, trying to stop himself from getting angry at something so little and stupid.

She raised an eyebrow at him and grabbed the bottle. “You forgot to grab glasses.”

He quickly opened the door, scoffed at the busboy who hadn’t moved yet, grabbed two glasses, then shut the door again. “Better?”

“Yes,” Josée said, grabbing one glass and pouring herself some wine. She quickly downed it and Jacques wondered if he should be concerned. She was very, _very_ tiny and could only handle a small amount, so he had to make sure she didn’t overdo it.

Still only wearing a towel, Josée poured herself a second glass and downed that one quickly as well, then did the same with a third. Jacques squinted down at her and took her glass away when she was done with it.

“Maybe…wait a minute before having any more, Josée,” he said, making sure to hold the bottle high enough that she couldn’t reach it.

She pouted at him. “Don’t…tell me what to do!” Alright, she hadn’t eaten in many hours so she was already feeling a little warm. “I’m…getting dressed,” she said, walking over to her bag.

Jacques rolled his eyes. “Have fun with tha-“ He cut himself off as Josée’s towel started to fall – he ran over and hiked it back up for her. “ _Josée!_ You can _not_ be that drunk!”

She giggled and looked over her shoulder at him. “Maybe I was just trying to tease you!” she said with a smile.

Jacques’ mouth turned into a straight line and he glared at her. “…okay, no more wine for you.”

Josée frowned and turned around to put her hands on his chest. “Wha-?! No, _Jacques!_ I’m sorry, I was just kidding!”

He rolled his eyes again and tried to adjust them so she wasn’t as…exposed to him.

She followed that up by leaning herself into him and shoving him back on to the bed, her falling on top of him and whining more. “ _Jaaacques,_ don’t be-…don’t be mad!”

Jacques let his head fall back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He knew if he looked up at Josée he’d get a terribly uncomfortable view.

“ _Jacques!!”_ She crawled up his chest. “Where’d you put the wine?!”

He put his hands on her waist to keep her from crawling further. “Josée, you’ve had enough. I can _tell._ ”

She grumbled and sighed, pausing for a second before just laying on top of him. “…fine.”

“Fine?”

She crossed her arms over his chest and laid her head on them. “…mmm…it’s fine…”

Jacques was confused for a second while Josée’s voice trailed off. He waited another minute before glancing up. “Josée?”

She was snoring lightly on his chest.

He blushed again and moved his hands from her waist to her back. “…did you really fall asleep on me?”

The only response was more snoring, and Jacques sighed. He rubbed her back and closed his eyes. It wasn’t the most comfortable position he’d fallen asleep in, but he didn’t feel like moving. Maybe the drinking didn’t change anything about their current issues, but…he didn’t mind. They’d get back to normal soon, just like they always did.


	7. Consider It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanders is still a little concerned about how Josée was acting in the Bahamas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is kinda weird its not really shippy and thats rare for me lmao but in general just. my first time writing in sanders’ head so she might be a little jumbly idk
> 
> ship: non-romantic sanders/josée, ft jacques/josée and sanders/macarthur

The flight from the Bahamas to New York City was going to be long. Not their longest, of course, but it would probably feel like it. Sanders always said she wanted to travel, so she didn’t want to complain like some kind of hypocrite, but _man_ she never really thought about how long twelve hours was until she had to spend it on a plane.

And this particular flight felt even colder than the rest. MacArthur, after doing one of the most selfless things of her entire life, was then clonked in the head by a coconut as thanks. Josée was just….

Sanders didn’t like to swear, but Josée was a total jerkface.

She was seated on the plane; in the aisle seat ‘cause Macarthur asked for the window. She didn’t mind, that way when Macarthur fell asleep she’d lean against the wall instead of Sanders’ shoulder. It was so embarrassing.

Seated across the aisle from them, unfortunately, was the Ice Dancers. Sanders could say with absolute certainty that she’d never felt such animosity towards another person in her life - but these two made it easy. They were cocky, rude, lying, cheating, mean, backstabbing people.

Jacques and Josée were just reading some magazines - and Sanders was pretty sure they were each on the cover of what they were reading. Guess she could add egotistical to that list, too.

But, still, she couldn’t change how she was raised, and she was raised to always give second chances and look out for the people around her. And despite Josée’s massive, massive flaws, Sanders felt bad for her just a few hours earlier. Maybe she was projecting and it was because she, well, she almost _died_ , but she felt a weird nostalgic kinship with Josée when the dancer was panicking underwater.

Not that Sanders was one to panic anymore, but when she was younger it was an issue she’d had. Though…it was never as bad for her at it was for Josée. She seemed to have some real underlying issues. It really made her want to help her.

Sanders almost laughed at herself. She sounded like she was in some kind of badly written romance movie! As if “curing” Josée would lead to them…falling for each other, or something. Oh, God.

Actually, she did laugh. Jacques and Josée glared over angrily as she continued to giggle.

She couldn’t help it, it was a really funny thought. But Josée would still be a terrible person, claustrophobia or not.

Still, Sanders was dedicated to helping people. Just as MacArthur had rescued the dancer from almost drowning, maybe she could help her in another way! Just doing her duty as a soon-to-be cop.

With that in mind, Sanders glanced over at the Ice Dancers. Josée didn’t look as polished as usual, and Jacques seemed a little nervous.

Well, he probably should, after what he said to her, but as far as Sanders could tell, they’d already made up. She guessed that evil people probably made up quickly since they had other people to be mean to. Or…or something like that. Evil people were confusing.

She thought more about how Jacques acted earlier. Most of the time during the competition she’d felt like Jacques just followed Josée around and did whatever she asked - but recently she’d noticed that he seemed to be getting… _angrier._ Maybe Josée deserved what he did, but Sanders still felt like it was especially cruel. Panic attacks were the worst and Josée’s sounded awful. Jacques probably didn’t have them himself, but with fourteen years under their partnership belt, she figured he should have some idea.

But what was done was done - and Josée seemed fine. She wasn’t shaking or anything, just staring down at her magazine.

After that thought, Jacques suddenly stood up and started walking down the aisle - probably a bathroom break. Sanders glanced at Josée and was surprised to see the girl hug herself and lean her forehead against the seat in front of her.

Maybe she wasn’t doing so well after all…

Against her better judgement, Sanders leaned into the aisle and spoke up. “Are you okay?”

Josée didn’t respond and Sanders frowned, standing and crossing the aisle to sit in Jacques’ seat.

The dancer’s eyes widened and she turned her head. “What, did you just piss in the co-” She cut herself off when she saw who she was talking to. “ _What_ do _you_ want?”

Sanders ignored the attitude and played with her cast. “I, uh…are you okay?”

“…what?” Josée asked, clearly losing patience.

“Well, uh, you just…” Sanders stumbled over her words. “You don’t look like…you.”

Josée clearly wanted to punch her. “And _whom_ , exactly, do I look like?”

The cadet knew this was a bad idea, but it was too late at that point. “Like a…really exhausted version of you.”

She rolled her eyes, like Sanders expected her to do, and then glared. “Yes, _wow_ , your cadet training must be coming in handy! You can tell that someone who almost drowned and hasn’t slept in two days is tired! I’m _so_ impressed.”

Sanders pouted. “Two days? You didn’t sleep after Argentina?”

Josée’s reaction - a shocked blush and some grumbling - left Sanders confused, but she didn’t dwell on it. “Well…I guess I just…wanted you to know that I kind of know what you went through.”

Josée squinted at her. “Are you attempting to confuse me as some sort of strategy?”

She frowned. “N-no…I’m trying to…uh, connect with you.”

“ _What?_ Why?”

Sanders wondered if it would be appropriate to facepalm in that situation. “Because I could hear you when you down in the caves and I _really_ think you need help!”

Josée’s face switched from shocked to angry very quickly and Sanders held her hands up in defense.

“I didn’t mean that as a jab! I’m just being honest!”

“Well if we’re all being _honest_ for this little sharing time, I can _honestly_ tell you to keep your nose out my business and that I do _not_ need any help.”

Sanders pouted. “You were hyperventilating so much you went through forty percent of an oxygen tank in five minutes!”

Josée looked like she wanted to scream. “Your point?!”

She sighed. “You are-! _Ugh!_ You should think about seeing a therapist, is my point! You sounded like you were dying!”

“Therapy is for the weak minded. And I don’t need it either way,” Josée said, clenching her fists.

Sanders could tell she was really overstepping, but Josée being insulted was her last concern. Terrible person or not, she needed to hear it. “When I was little, I had a really terrible fear of heights. I would have panic attacks anytime someone even _talked_ about airplanes. So my parents took me to a psychologist and I started to get better.”

Josée was back to reading her magazine. Sanders didn’t care.

“I can’t guarantee that therapy would help you, but it’s better than doing nothing. And Jacques definitely can’t help yo-”

“I can’t help _what,_ exactly?”

Sanders looked over her shoulder to see Jacques towering over her with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed.

Josée glared up at him. “What, did you fall in?”

He rolled his eyes. “There was a line. Now get out of my seat, Cadet. You’re getting your pig sweat all over it.”

Sanders ignored him and quickly leaned over to whisper in Josée’s ear. “Just consider it, okay? Please.”

Josée responded with a small shove and Jacques scoffed as Sanders slipped back into her own seat, looking a bit defeated.

Jacques sat down and glared at the cadet, then back down to Josée. “What was _that?_ ”

“It was stupid,” she said with her eyes wandering over the article she’d already read three times. “Just… _stupid!_ ”

Jacques shrugged and went back to reading his own magazine. If the cadets were trying to mess with them, they’d have to try harder than…whatever they just did.

On the other side of the aisle, Sanders was frowning- she could tell Josée wasn’t going to listen to her. And obviously that was her choice to make, but she still felt bad.

As she was wallowing, MacArthur suddenly rolled around in her sleep and moved her head onto Sanders’ shoulder. She looked down to see MacArthur’s eyes peeking open and blushed a bit.

MacArthur smirked. “You’re _waaaay_ too nice, Sanders.”

She shrugged as best she could with the wright on her shoulder. “I guess we’re both too nice, then,” she said with a small smile.

MacArthur rolled her eyes and moved back to the window, snoring loudly, and Sanders stretched. Maybe she couldn’t help Josée, but she had other things to focus on, anyway. Tomorrow they’d be winning a million dollars, after all.


End file.
